Thank you, Starbucks…..

Okay…so this morning I stopped at Starbucks for the first time in a LONG time. (I’m actually laying off the caffeine for a while… I’ll explain later.) The drive-thru line was much too long for me as I was running late but the store itself was pretty barren. I decided to run in.

AND BOY-HOWDY, am I glad I did!

Oh my goodness! Waiting there in the middle of the store was a table FILLED with GLUTEN FREE bonanza goodies! I found “Peeled Snacks” (I got the cherry and the apple) which are just natural, dried fruits with nothing added. I found Kind Bars (which to be honest, I’m not a big eater of these as they taste like candy bars to me… but heck! I was THRILLED to see the gluten free offering!). And, I found my new addiction: Lucy’s Cinnamon Thin Cookies.

Oh. My. GOODNESS.

These babies are GOOD.

Seriously.

I’m thrilled to have a great range of goodies to choose from the next time my girlfriends want to connect for coffee after work.

So, thank you, Starbucks! You made my day. And now my desk drawer is stuffed with dried fruits, almonds and yummy treats for moments o’chopping in my future!

Please let me know if you guys find these products nationwide, too!
I’d love to know if I can pick them up when I head to Chicago or Arizona to see family too!
~Kate

30 comments on “Thank you, Starbucks…..”

You can find Kind bars in most Starbucks these days, definitely between Chicago and Nashville, Nashville and St. Louis, St. Louis to Kansas City and from Kansas City to Chicago. A Godsend. Not so sure about the other items you mentioned. And, just in case you’re ever in the area, most every Aroma in Israel carries Kind Bars (the Israeli version of Starbucks/Panera Bread).

I’m pretty sure they are rolling these treats out nationwide, I’ve heard they are coming to the Boston area. I just wish they had chosen a cookie that didn’t contain oats — I know the oats in Lucy’s cookies are gluten free, but not everyone with celiac can eat oats.

I know – the oats are a problem for some. And I was told today that the local GF store didn’t order these cookies because he prefers a more dense cookie. I like these because they are light and crumbly – PERFECT tea/coffee cookies, IMHO. I love them! The cinnamon ones are truly addicting!

Yes, I asked at the Starbucks here in (ahem) North Platte, Nebraska, and they said that non gluten cookies are coming to our very own Starbucks! Yay!! But when I was there a few nights ago, it wasn’t there yet. The people who worked there were just saying that it is on the way…

I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s gluten free parade, but I will confess to being disappointed. I stopped at a Starbuck’s to check out their gluten free options. First, when I asked two people at the register to point me in the direction of these newly available GF treats, they had no idea where they were. Second, how hard could it be to have homemade, yummy, fresh GF treats? Why are we only consigned to packaged goods? While I’m pleased that they’re making an effort, I’d like to see them go the extra mile to include gluten free fresh treats. Just my two cents.

If you ever get the chance to travel to England, the Starbucks do have “homemade” GF treats. I visisted a couple of years ago. The celiac society is very vocal there, and everything is labelled, including the array of desserts in the Starbucks cases!

A few months ago some of the Starbucks in the Portland area suddently had packaged gluten free muffins (2 types if I remember right) in the case with all the other baked goods. But I only saw them for a couple of weeks, then they disappeared, and none of the other locations knew what I was talking about when I asked about GF options.

I haven’t seen any of the items you described in the Portland area Starbucks yet, but I’ll keep checking!

It’s at least a positive step. But I agree with Ellen – there are so many fabulous gluten free bakeries . . . it would be great if Starbucks would carry their products, instead of the packaged dried fruit & nuts, bars, etc. But at least it’s a step in the right direction.

I’ve asked at about 5 different starbucks locations (two in downtown Chicago) for the GF orange cake or any other GF options and none of them had anything.

Ellen, my asumption on why everything is pre-packaged is so they can avoid any cross contamination issues. I agree some fresh stuff in the pastry case would be nice, and for me it wouldn’t matter if crumbs were interchanged, but with as nuts as the stores get sometimes, I can see why they want sealed plastic around everything.

I just don’t understand how I end up at the only Starbucks that don’t seem to have anything I can eat.

I live in Illinois and I just had my chai tea with the Lucy’s GF Cinnamon crisps today from Starbucks!! We drove an hour to the nearest Starbucks just so I could have these cookies!! YUMMY!!! Now if only I can get my grocers to carry these!!!

I was purchasing Lucy’s online and having them delivered to my home. The company is getting better known; I know one of our local grocery stores now carries them. They are wonderful! Thanks for letting us know Starbucks has them.

Our tiny Starbucks in Jamestown, New York never carried the GF orange cake, but they have Lucy’s cookies. The staff kept telling me how “awesome” the cookies were while offering me samples of their red velvet cake.

im not sure about starbuck in chicago but i have purchase lucy’s cookies at http://www.gfgrocery.com/. i agree, they are fabulous. quite frankly the only packaged gf cookie that i have thought was worth eating. the health food store in peoria, il where i do my gf shopping also carries them.

My local health food store (my go-to gluten-free paradise) here in PA has been carrying a variety of Lucy’s cookies for some time now. Cinnamon Thins are fantastic but I urge you to try their GF Oatmeal cookies – AMAZING and so buttery!

We have a gluten free selection here in Houston tx… the granola type bars are really good.. cookies good, and they had to types of chips/crackers… a sweet potatoe and a multi grain both gluten free… fabulous..perfect sizes for the kiddos lunch boxes,,